Agricultural Economic Development

 Polk County Farmers Markets:

• Saluda Tailgate Market: A bustling market located up the hill. This market features food vendors from our region selling some of the best tasting and healthiest produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, and more.
  • Runs May through October
  • Fridays 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Off of W. Main Street, Saluda, NC 
    
    
• Saluda Winter Market: Held indoors at the Saluda Center (64 Greenville St, Saluda, NC 28773). Vendors feature locally grown and raised meat, produce, and eggs. In addition to the staple food products, you may also find handmade crafts, pottery, and beauty products. 
  • Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month
  • Runs November through April
  • 9am - 12 noon

• Columbus Farmers Market: Join dozens of vendors each Saturday for an amazing assortment of the region's best homegrown produce, meat, cheese, eggs, and more. See amazing arts and crafts and value-added products.
  • Runs every Saturday, May through October
  • 8:00 a.m. to noon
  • On Courthouse Street, Columbus, NC
  • Shop local produce, meats, greens, baked goods, and crafts

• Columbus Winter Market: An indoor market held at Iron Key Brewing (135 Locust St, Columbus, NC 28722) featuring local food and handmade crafts. 
  • 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month
  • Runs from November through April
  • 9am - 12 noon

The purpose of the Agricultural Economic Development office is to encourage, support and maintain growing agricultural enterprises in Polk County.

Objectives:  

• Marketing Polk County’s agricultural products and services by creating market opportunities. 
• Encourage value-added enterprises. 
• Identify trends and support services. 
• Assist in training and scaling up agricultural businesses. 
• Supporting new farmer enterprises through connection and mentoring opportunities
• Encourage expansion of secondary Agricultural businesses such as distribution and marketing, business planning, support business such as dry goods, seeds, implements, equipment, etc.   
• Maintaining an appropriate agricultural land base to support a viable agricultural economy in Polk County specifically through Farmland Preservation and other conservation programs
• Encourage value-added enterprises. Identify trends and support services. Assist in training and scaling up agricultural businesses.

The Agricultural Economic Development Office is supported by the Agricultural Advisory Board.

(828) 894-2281
www.polkcountyfarms.org

Links to Tools and Resources

The following are links to other resources available for various methods and tools for land preservation. The link follows the name of the site to which it goes.

• Agricultural Tourism Signs - North Carolina Department of Transportation
  Standard Practice A-7
  https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/safety/Teppl/TEPPL%20All%20Documents%20Library/signs.pdf
  
  
• Interlocal Cooperation - UNC School of Government
  http://www.sog.unc.edu/programs/interlocalcoop/
  
  
• North Carolina Department of Commerce - Division of Community Assistance
  http://www.dca.commerce.state.nc.us
  
  
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
  http://www.ces.ncsu.edu
  
  
• North Carolina Division of Soil and Water Conservation
  https://deq.nc.gov/
  
  
• North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
  http://www.ncagr.gov/

• The Conservation Trust for North Carolina
  http://www.ctnc.org
  
  
• North Carolina Land Trusts provided by The Conservation Trust for North Carolina
  https://ctnc.org/get-involved/conservation-options/
  
  
• American Farmland Trust
  http://www.farmland.org
  
  
• Land Trust Alliance
  http://www.lta.org

• Land Loss Prevention Project
  http://www.landloss.org/
  
  
• The Trust for Public Land
  http://www.tpl.org
  
  
• The Nature Conservancy
  http://www.tnc.org
  

• Institute of Government - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  https://www.sog.unc.edu/